


You Can't' Hold My Heart

by AlyxRae



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, But that should be obvi lol, Canon-Typical Violence, Denial of Feelings, Developing Relationship, Fluff and Angst, For the most part, Hooo boy thats an understatement lol, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Akechi Goro, Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, Pining, Slow Burn, Songfic, currently re-working
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:41:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27552472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlyxRae/pseuds/AlyxRae
Summary: Oh, can you stay awakeOne more hour, maybe this can changeOh, can you numb the pain'Cause it runs deep in constant waves*currently reworking. check first chapter notes for info*
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 9
Kudos: 18





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! If you've been here before, you might know that this started out as a ShuAke week challenge. Weeeelllll, I decided to change lanes lol. Because it was a challenge, I kind of rushed things and wasn't really liking what I was doing. SO I'm reworking the currently posted chapters and have changed where this plot was originally going. So far I've posted the new second chapter and will put in the notes when a chapter is updated.   
> There isn't too many changes so far, but just some sublet things that make me feel better lol.   
> Anywho, thanks for reading this and sorry for the weird update!
> 
> Title from the song [You Can't Hold My Heart](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWV3pIesd0Y) by Monsta X
> 
> ...cuz i'm k-pop trash :DDDDDD

Goro Akechi was fifteen when he bought his first pair of gloves.

They were cheap, plastic instead of genuine leather and far too big for his young hands. They were meant for an adult. An adult down on their luck, if the price tag was anything to go by. Goro didn’t really notice the quality at the time. He wasn’t used to expensive clothing. He wasn’t even familiar with new clothes, being subjugated to second hand items more often then not.

The gloves were his first purchase on his own. Apart from the occasional snack here and there. It was the first item he purchased wholly for himself and it felt _good_. It felt good to own something all his own.

Those cheap, fake leather gloves were the final part of his armor. With them, his carefully crafted façade was perfected. Gone was the little boy that no one wanted, and in his place, the second coming of the Detective Prince emerged.

Years later and his armor is gleaming. Blindingly brilliant. The perfect illusion.

So how in the hell did someone as painfully average as Ren Amamiya manage to shatter it so completely?

In retrospect, Goro came to realized it all happened in five parts.


	2. Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We made city sound  
> Had a fire, but it's dying down  
> We tried to make a way  
> But we got lost and swept away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated as of 1/22/21

It was a particularly wet April this year. Rain clouds hovered in the sky more often than not and the humidity was bordering on oppressive. Goro Akechi was currently trying not to shove the excitable young sales clerk into the tower of shampoo bottles behind her. All he wanted was to run in, grab something to combat the unattractive frizz that cursed his hair, and be on his way. The humidity was really trying to spoil his picture-perfect image and Goro was not about to let that happen.

Of course, the first sales clerk he approached to ask advice from turned out to be a fan and a loud one at that. She squealed for at least three minutes before actually forming words. Her first words being ‘can I get a picture’. An hour later, Goro walked out of the shop with a small bottle of spray that supposedly worked miracles on humidity frizz. Hopefully it was worth the headache.

It was a funny thing, worrying about the state of his hair, when nearly a week ago he caused one of the worst subway accidents in recently memory. So was the duality of Goro Akechi’s life. A strange mix of maintaining his status as a minor celebrity and seeking vengeance on his piece of shit father by being his supernatural hit man.

Someone should study him. Goro is sure that he’d make an interesting case study for any psychiatrist worth their salt. Not that they’d ever know of his true intentions, of his true self hiding behind fake smiles and leather gloves. But it was still an amusing thought that floating around his head from time to time.

The subway accident was a major incident, but truthfully it didn’t mean much to him. He was just following orders as always. Making sure Shido’s faith in him never wavered even for a moment. While the police and bureaucrats argued over whose fault it was, there was no use for a charismatic detective.

In fact, there hadn’t been much use for Goro’s detective prowess for quite some time. In laymen’s terms, Goro needed a case. Something small enough that it wouldn’t bother any of Shido’s pawns peppered throughout Tokyo, but large enough to get him some good publicity. Goro could only stomach purchasing so many crepes to appease his hungry Instagram followers at one time. Right now, the only news coverage he got was about this love for sweet things. It was annoying, especially since he preferred tart desserts to sweet ones.

So, in search for something concrete, Goro lingered in the underground mall. He perused the stores, listening in conversations and trying to discern the good rumors from the stupid. Every once and a while, he’d hear his own name whispered in the crowd. When it became the only thing he heard, Goro walked briskly to the stairs.

It was just about time for most schools to be let out, so Goro lingered in the station to eavesdrop on some students. Young people tended to stumbled onto things more easily than adults sometimes. Goro thought it was often because adults didn’t take young people seriously enough. They didn’t think youths were anything more than an annoyance. That they were prone to lying or _embellishing the truth_.

Really, the exact opposite was true most of the time. Goro used that misconception to his advantage all the time.

Soon, the station was littered with students in uniform. Black jackets and pleated skirts, the station was soon a sea of cheery young faces. Goro spotted a group of gossiping girls and decided to give it a chance. Maybe there was pervy teacher that needed to be exposed. Oh, how right he ended up being.

Before Goro could follow his intended targets, a girl with an abundance of blond hair rushed past him. Her eyes were red, clearly mere seconds away from crying. Not a moment later, a boy in a similar uniform chased after her.

A lovers quarrel perhaps? That’s usually what a display like that meant. Still, the little show managed to cause Goro to lose his targets. _What a nuisance._

Annoyed, Goro stepped off to the side and pulled out his phone. Sae texted him a few minutes ago and he needed to respond.

As he fired off a quick text, the girl and boy from before passed by him once again. Goro frowned. They didn’t really look like they were fighting at the moment, and it had only been a minute or so. They couldn’t have made up in such a short amount of time, could they?

Goro didn’t question why he began to follow them. Sometimes his curiosity had a mind of its own and he was just a passenger. So, he followed.

The pair headed to Big Bang Burger, one of Goro’s least favorite places in Shibuya. The couple sat in the far corner, ordering nothing except for drinks. Goro sat as closely as he dared and pulled out his notebook to look busy. He smiled kindly at the waitress when she brought him his milkshake. Behind him, the couple started talking.

“You’ve heard the rumors, haven’t you? About Mr. Kamoshida? Everyone says were getting it on… but that’s so not true.” the girl began speaking in a low voice. She seemed much more composed them earlier.

Goro recognized the name of the man she mentioned. Suguru Kamoshida. Olympic gold medalist and the coach of a highly rated high school volleyball team. Goro only knew of the man due to the principle of said school’s continued support of Shido’s goals. Goro had done the bare minimum looking into Shujjin Academy on the off-chance Principle Kobayakawa needed to be strong armed in the right direction. An unnecessary effort when Goro had seen just how spinless the man truly was. 

Could it be that the star coach of said school, a school which had been struggling to achieve any sense of renown for years, was harassing the female students? _Minors_ female students? 

The very thought made Goro’s stomach twist.

Goro listened to the girl while his milkshake melted in front of him. After just a few minutes, Goro was already beginning to plan how he was going to take Kamoshida down. Exposing all his heinous crimes to the media wouldn’t quiet satisfy Goro’s own justice, be having him disgraced and put behind bars would do wonders for Goro’s career. 

Satisfied with what he learned, Goro took a big gulp of his milkshake, not waiting to look like he was rude enough to waste it, and slipped his note book back in to his attaché case. He stood and let his eyes briefly wander to the couple as he left.

Goro bit back a laugh at the blank look on the boy’s face. The young girl was quiet literally crying her eyes out and the boy looked as blank as a statue. He really hoped they weren’t actually dating. If so, he felt pity for the poor girls taste in men.

As Goro stepped outside, his phone rang.

“Afternoon, Sae-san.” He answered in his trademark pleasant tone.

“ _Are you available to assist me this afternoon?”_ she asked, not bothering with the same pleasantries.

Sae had to be one of the few adults Goro _almost_ liked. She was predictable, and that predictability made her a safe person to spend time with. Goro never had to worry about Sae Niijima plotting something behind his back. She was far too consumed in her own desire to succeed to pay much mind to Goro. Unless of course, she needed to use his intelligence.

Goro smiled. “Of course. Aren’t I always? Where would you like to meet?”

“ _I’m in Shibuya, just about to cross.”_

“Well, what perfect timing. I’m right outside of Big Bang Burger.”

Sae made a sound that might have been laughter. “ _Not your usual choice, Akechi-kun. Are you feeling alright_?”

Goro scoffed. “I simply was craving a milkshake and this was the closet option. A choice made simply out of convenience.”

“ _Well, I hope you didn’t ruin your appetite. We’re going to be working late tonight and I promised to buy you dinner if that ever happened again_.”

“I’m always hungry for free food, Sae-san. I am still a teenager after all.”

Sae was close enough for Goro to see her soft smile. He walked over, hanging up as he did so.

Suguru Kamoshida would have to wait for a little while. Goro had a few other duties as the Detective Prince to fulfill first.

* * *

_“You’ve never seen the stars, have you Goro.” His mother said sadly. The little boy was curled up on the armchair next to her, his eyes getting heavier by the second._

_“I’ve seen stars.” Goro protested. “In movies. And at the plant— planet terrarium.”_

_“Planetarium.” She chuckled._

_“Yeah. That.”_

_“I know, Goro. But I’m talking about real stars. The ones we can’t see from the city.”_

_The little boy yawned. He didn’t want to fall asleep. With how much his mother worked, he hardly got to spend much time with her. These moments together were too important for sleep._

_“We should take a trip to the country.” She hugged her son tighter. “Would you like that Goro? To go to the country and see real stars?”_

_“Mmhm…” Goro’s eyes were closed, his battle finally lost. The last thing he remembered of that night was his mother kissing his forehead._

_A month later, she locked herself in the bathroom and didn’t come back out._

Ten years later, and Goro still hadn’t actually seen a sky full of stars.

Once, in the cognitive world, he’d seen a mockery of the night sky. The distortion had turned a stuffy office building into a lush hedge maze bathed in moonlight. The being in the center of the maze wasn’t much to remember, just some finical director who stepped out of line, but her distortion was interesting.

Goro remembered staring at the fake stars for far longer than he should have. He thought of his mother in that moment, and then instantly pushed her from his mind completely. There was no room for memories, good or bad, in the cognitive world. Not when his face was covered by a black mask and a gun was heavy in his hand. It wasn’t a place for anything but death.

Unfortunately, it seemed to be happening more often. Memories floating up from deep within his mind and playing out in his eyes like a faded home video. Happy memories, sad memories… it didn’t really matter. It was like he was dreaming while he was wide awake. Unable to control what his saw next.

It was infuriating.

 _Maybe you should take the hint, lillebror._ An infuriating voice whisper in his ear. 

The squealing train tracks brought him back to the present, where he could easily ignore that lingering voice. Shujin Academy was easy to get to and the perfect place to start his investigation. It had taken longer for him to follow this lead then he would have liked. Sae was truly relentless when it came to her investigation into the psychotic breaks and kept him out late for days. She finally seemed to remember he was a student and stop taking up his nights.

Finally, after a solid week, Goro was able to pursue his case. And oh, what he found.

It was very easy to get people to open up to him. What with his minor celebrity status, people were eager to talk to him and establish a friendly connection. They seemed to get it in their heads that knowing him would be some sort of key to mediocre fame for themselves. A ridiculous thought if there ever was one.

In the lead up to his Shujin visit, Goro had managed to track down a few of Kamoshida’s former female classmates. They all mentioned one or two uncomfortable encounters with the young volleyball star. Of course, no one said anything at the time. That would be too simple.

With a clear history of questionable behavior, Gore had a foundation for his case. All that was left was using the bastards palace to bring him to justice. 

However, his first dive into the Kamoshida’s cognitive world was…unexpected.

Goro closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the world around him ripple and change. When he opened them again, a giant stone castle stood in the place of the school. It was a typical European design, with tall turrets and a draw bridge. The air had a strange sweetness to it. Like fake strawberries or cherries. It was revolting.

The familiar feeling of Loki surged in his heart, like it did every time Goro stepped into this other world. It’s not like Loki was disappeared when he was back in the real world. More like dormant. Or bored. Loki didn’t care much for the real world where he was bound by mundanity. Goro felt the same.

What he didn’t expect to see when stepping into the courtyard was clear evidence of break in right next to the main door.

Goro frowned. There was gaping hole in the wall, maybe some sort of vent but missing its cover. The stone was scraped, like something had rubbed against it, multiple times. Goro hoisted himself up and crawled through the space. The missing vent cover was bent and broken on the floor inside.

 _This can’t be a part of Kamoshida’s cognition. It would make no sense._ Goro tapped his thigh was one of his clawed fingers. _That only plausible explanation is…_

“…someone else is here.” Goro said quietly. A thrum of _something_ ratted his spine. Goro couldn’t tell if he was excited or furious at the thought of someone else trapezing about the cognitive world. He settled on dangerously curious.

In the back on his mind, Loki laughed.

Goro hurried out into the depths of the castle. Without even trying, he found overwhelming evidence of Kamoshida’s despicable behavior. Treating women, _underage women_ , as objects of lust was revolting. And his award-winning volleyball team? Poor terrified youths getting the absolute shit beat out of them on a daily basis.

This man was dreadful and the perfect target for a student detective to expose. Although, for a moment, Goro toyed with the idea of doing more. Surely his justice would have been a better punishment then anything the useless police department could dole out. But with each room he passed and hallway he traversed, that thought flew further from his mind, replaced with something impossible.

There really _was_ someone else there. And they weren’t apart of Kamoshida’s ridiculous cognition.

Goro climbed up and up, following the phantom that was recking havoc in the castle and trying to ignore the ever-increasing disgusting architecture. Of course, as Loki liked to remind him, his anger and annoyance was steadily growing with every step.

“They clearly have no idea what they’re doing. _Idiot_.” Goro hissed. There weren’t nearly enough enemies around to take out his frustrations. Probably the other assholes fault too.

Goro was so preoccupied complaining that he nearly missed the sound of voices coming from a closed door.

 _Voices_. As in plural. 

As in, there is more then just one annoyance flitting about this palace.

“Man, I’m beat. That last guy was ‘effing _nuts_.” A male voice, a loud one, spoke. Goro lifted his visor and stepped closer to the door.

“Yeah, but it was so worth it. Now we can finally put an end to all this.” A new voice, a female one this time. She sounded… oddly familiar?

“Panther is right. Now that we’ve secured our route to the treasure, we can take Kamoshida down for good.” a third voice ( _three? Could there really be three people fumbling around the cognitive world?)_ spoke. Goro couldn’t really place gender, however the higher pitch sounded strange to his ears. Almost unnatural.

The male voice shouted once again. “Hell yeah! I can’t wait to make that bastard Kamoshida pay for all the bullshit he put us through.”

“Me too. I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time.” The girl sounded far more dangerous than before. Their presences here was clearly apart of some sort of personal vendetta. One of Kamoshida’s victims, perhaps? _No, that’s too easy._

“So, what’s our next step, Mona?” The girl asked.

The high-pitched voice answered. “Well for now, I say we head home. It’s been a long day and you all look pretty worn out. Especially Skull, but that’s pretty much how he always looks.”

“Hey!”

“What do you say, Joker? Is there anything else you want to do before we leave?”

It was silent for a few moments before the high-pitched voice spoke again. Goro hurried away from the door just as the group stepped out. He counted three individuals along with a…well he wasn’t sure what the hell was trailing along with them but now at least he had a reason to why that third voice sounded so strange.

The three humans were dressed in, frankly, ridiculously looking outfits. Red leather, long black coats, and bone-like armor. All so different from one another and yet strangely cohesive standing side by side. All of their appearances were topped off with unique masks that hide their faces.

Masks…

Unconsciously, Goro’s hand trailed up to his helmet. His _mask_.

_Could they also…no. My power is unique. Special. There was no way these fucking amateurs—_

“Alright, make sure you guys get a good night’s rest. You all did great.” The cat-like creature was grinning. “We’ll let you decide when to send out the calling card, Joker.”

_Calling card…?_

“Got it.” The one with the white mask nodded. It was the first time he spoken the entire time.

Goro followed the group as they traveled back to the entrance. They were all… _laughing_. And chatting like they weren’t knee deep in an alternate universe that wanted to kill them at every turn. It was pathetic. The only reason they had survived this long was because they were in a group. If any of these fools were on their own, they would have died in minutes. Goro was sure of it.

They weren’t strong like him. It was clear as day that they were nothing but children playing a game they could never understand.

Goro didn’t have much time to think over everything he learned. Because not a day later, a calling card appeared at Shujin Academy. The young detective almost skipped school completely when he found out. But, of course, his sparkling reputation didn’t allow for any kind of deviance.

As soon as the last bell rang, Goro hurried to the train station. He had to know what those thieves were up to.

Thieves. Phantom Thieves of Heart. Goro had seen a few calling cards posted on the internet by Shujin students. The ragtag group he stumbled upon two days ago seemed even more delusional by the second.

Goro’s hand was nearly shaking as he gripped his attaché case. His leather gloves were creaking. It felt like it took years to reach Aoyama-Itchome.

Stepping in to Kamoshida’s cognition, Goro immediately noticed the difference. There was an eerie red tinge to the air along with a strange tension that made Goro feel like lightning was about to strike. The armored enemies in the castle were out in droves, moving erratically. Their berserker like movements made them easy to take down, even if they were a bit stronger than usual.

Goro hurried through the castle, quickly checking for any signs of the thieves. It wasn’t until he got to the tallest tower that he found his targets.

The ground rumbled as a loud roar rang out. Goro stumbled, his irritation spiking. His boots stomped against the floor as he ran to the source of the noise. When he finally found the throne room, Goro froze.

“What the _hell_ …” he grit his teeth. Those stupid thieves were back and they were fighting…. was that grotesque thing supposed to Kamoshida? The creature was giant, a golden knife and fork in his hand and a wine glass with a…

 _Oh, fucking hell._ Goro felt his anger spike. _Was that a woman in his wine glass? What the fuck is wrong with this man._

“You’re misunderstanding it all! I haven’t sexually harassed anyone!” the monstrous Kamoshida shouted. “They came on to me because they wanted to get on my good side!”

“Son of a bitch…” Goro felt Loki flare behind him. It would only take one strike to take the bastard down…

The thief in red unleased a powerful fire attack. Kamoshida reared back in pain.

It was then that Goro realized, there was only three people fighting against the monster. The woman in red, the loud blonde with the skull mask, and the quiet leader in the black coat. Where was the weird monster cat?

Mere moments later, the strange creature jumped out from the balcony and knocked the gaudy crown off of Kamoshida’s head. The monster howled.

“No! My…my precious…”

All the sudden, Kamoshida’s attacks looked like nothing more than a tired toddler throwing a tantrum. The thieves on the other hand, seemed to get a boost of energy. They attacked relentlessly. Guns and daggers, a whip and… _was that a fucking lead pipe? Amateurs._

It took now time at all for the four thieves to take down Kamoshida. His disgusting monstrous form crumbled and all that was left was the sniveling human form of the man. He clutched onto the crown desperately, crying and begging like the coward he was. The woman in red stalked forward, a looming, glowing figure behind her with flames trailing from their dress.

This was the moment in all this confusion, that Goro thought he was familiar with. Every once and while, one of his targets squirmed more than usual. Maybe not quiet on this level, but whatever these thieves did seemed to agitate the cognitive being to unheard of levels.

But this was familiar. A cowering figure, begging for their life. All it would take is one shot. One quick strike with his sword. And then it would be over.

…but it wasn’t over.

Goro stared, his confused expression hidden by his helmet. The woman, Panther…she was letting Kamoshida go?

Why the fuck was she letting that bastard go?

The one in black caught the crown after Kamoshida gave it up. And then…he faded away. Kamoshida, disappeared into to nothingness, without a bullet in his head.

Goro had never seen that before.

_What the absolute hell was happening?_

There wasn’t time to even begin to theorize. The ground rumbled and Goro knew instantly what was happening. Without the ruler, the palace would crumble. Goro turned and began to run.

* * *

“Are you alright, Akechi-kun?” Sae was looking at him with a slight frown on her face. The quiet crowd of the SUI lobby was almost comforting at this point. Goro had spent so much time in this building it was like his second home.

He looked up from the case file he was skimming and smiled.

“Ah, yes, I’m alright, Sae-san. Just a little tired.” Goro answered.

“Hm, maybe I’ve been a little too demanding of your time lately.”

“Not at all, Sae-san. It’s a serious case that deserves our full attention. In all honesty, I would probably still be working on theories even if you didn’t request my time.” He smiled sweetly.

Sae’s eyes narrowed. “I’m going to let you in on my secret.” She said cryptically. Sae picked up her phone. A moment later, Goro’s buzzed in his pocket.

A text with an address appeared on his screen. “What’s this?” he asked.

“The secret to the best coffee in the city. Possibly in all of Japan.” Sae went back to typing on her laptop. “It’s where I go when I need to relax and get a bit of a refresh. The coffee alone is well worth the train ride, but the café is pretty out of the way. So, it’s a nice quiet place to be.”

Goro pulled up the address on his map. It would take about thirty minutes to get to Yongen, but if what Sae was saying was true, it might be worth it. His mind had been a twisted mess ever since Kamoshida and the Phantom Thieves. He hadn’t gotten a moment to truly think about everything yet.

Also, he was ready to kill for a good caffeine fix.

“Thank you for sharing this, Sae-san.” He said honestly. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll head over there now. I really need a bit of breather.”

“Of course. I insist on it, actually. Now get going before I change my mind.” She joked.

Goro said his goodbye and headed out of the building. On the train ride over, he let his mind slowly start to drift to the Phantom Thieves. That strange group of people who, by some mistake, ended up in the cognitive world with powers that were a parody of his own. His eye twitched at the thought.

He still had no idea what their goal was. What the ‘treasure’ was or why their goal was steal it. Why they didn’t end Kamoshida right there when they had the chance. It all made no sense.

And there was no benefit, as far as Goro could see. No reason to explain their actions. As far as he could tell, Kamoshida was fine. Although, if what he heard was true, the man did place himself under suspension recently.

_Could that be because of the Thieves?_

The train pulled into the station. Goro quickly glanced at his phone before heading up the stairs.

Yongen-Jaya was a quaint little neighborhood. It was somehow filled to the brim with things to do, even though it was only made up of a few blocks. Goro felt a bit odd walking around amongst all the older residences. Yongen seemed like the place where people settled down. It gave the place a comforting feel.

Café Leblanc didn’t look like much from the outside, but the smell of roasted beans permeated the air around it. Goro stepped inside and almost grinned at the cozy atmosphere.

“Afternoon. Take a seat where ever you like.” The man behind the counter turned and nodded politely before setting down his crossword. “Don’t think I’ve seen you around before. Welcome.”

“Thank you. My coworker recommended your coffee. She said it was the best in the city.” Goro put on his prince-like smile before settling down at the counter.

“Well, that’s quiet the completement. I hope it lives up to the excitement. Now, what’ll it be?”

Goro ordered the house blend to start. He wasn’t a connoisseur of coffee, but clearly this man was. Goro let his mind go comfortably blank as he watched the man artfully brew his drink. It was almost hypnotizing, in a way.

The man set down the hot coffee in front of Goro with a swift nod. He didn’t stick around to chat, which Goro was grateful for. He wasn’t in the right mindset for frivolous conversation.

The coffee was perfection. So rich and full of flavor that Goro was sure normal coffee was ruined for him forever. He pulled out his phone to send another thanks to Sae.

The bell over the front door chimed. Goro didn’t bother turning to see who walked in the café, too content to sip his drink in silence. The man behind the counter didn’t seem so inclined.

“Ah, your back.”

…That’s a bit of an odd thing to say to a customer. Goro set down his cup and glanced at the figure in the door way. The familiar plaid of a Shujin uniform was the first thing he saw.

The first time Goro truly laid eyes on Ren Amamiya, the first thing he realized was that he’d seen the boy before. Dark messy curls, large glasses that hid his eyes, even the way he stood with his hands deep in in his pockets screamed familiarity. It took only moments before the detective realized that he’d seen that placid expression before. Sitting across from a girl with blonde pigtails crying her eyes out.

Oh, how strange this month was turning out to be.

In the mere ten seconds it took to study Amamiya, Goro didn’t realize that he too was being analyzed. Those damn glasses had been hiding a hoard of secrets from day one.

“Stop blocking the door and go upstairs. I’ve still got customers.” The man behind the counter practically growled.

Goro’s eyes widened slightly when the boy jumped. His curls bounced as he quickly turned away from the lone patron at the counter to look at the man scolding him. A flash of grey eyes gleamed behind his glasses. The boy muttered a quiet apology before striding to the stairs. Goro took a sip of his coffee, looking out of the corner of his eye to the retreating figure.

For just a moment, it seemed as though the person stopped. Head tilted to the side; lips minutely parted almost like he was going to say something. Like he felt the same swoop in his stomach that Goro felt when their eyes met.

It was just a moment, a fleeting thing that could mean everything someone and nothing to the next.

For a long while, Goro claimed it meant nothing. Ren would help him see otherwise.

The moment was gone as soon as it had come.

“Thank you for the drink.” Goro smiled at the man behind the counter, reaching for his wallet. He didn’t feel like staying any longer.

“Thanks for stopping by. Not too often we get new customers. Even on a recommendation.” He said a little gruffly.

“Well, I’m sure I’ll be coming in again. I admit, I don’t know too much about coffee, but trying just one of your drinks makes me want to learn more.”

The man smiled. “Well, that’s not something I expected to hear from a kid like you. Names Sojiro Sakura.”

“Goro Akechi. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sakura-san.”

“You too. Feel free to stop by anytime.”

* * *

The first time Ren saw Akechi, he could tell something changed. It felt like the air itself shifted. Swirling at his back and pushing him towards the boy at the counter.

The boy with burning stars for eyes.


	3. Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How's it gonna work when we can't admit it  
> Pretend like we don't know now  
> Tried to drag it out, but we beared it livin'  
> We can let it go now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated as of 1/22/21

Goro hadn’t forgotten what he’d seen in the cognitive world that day. Hell, he’d been thinking about those damn thieves every night for well over a week. But he became so wrapped up in the fact that there were four other people able to walk safely cognitive world, that he didn’t spare a moment to think about Suguru Kamoshida. 

Maybe he should have paid more attention. Then the news of the former Olympian confessing to all his horrid crimes would have come as much less of a shock.

Goro sat back in his seat, nearly dumbfounded. The SIU lobby was buzzing today, no doubt a result from the surprise confession. It made the news in a big way. There wasn’t a television station nor news outlet not covering the story. Everyone loved to watch someone’s innocent mask peel away and reveal the dreadful creature underneath. Goro suspected it made people feel better about themselves. The realization that their dark side wasn’t nearly as bad as others. It was a pretty low bar to beat, of course.

“Odd, isn’t it?” Sae appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Goro must have really been out of it if she was able to sneak up on him. “I heard from one of the officers that interrogated him that Kamoshida actually asked to be locked up. He didn’t even want to try to go to court.”

“Really? Now that doesn’t make much sense.” Goro crossed his arms. His mind drifted to the sniveling shadow he’d seen a week ago, lowering his shoulders and fading away into nothing. Was this…?

“It seems as though a number of the parents whose students suffered abuse knew about Kamoshida’s actions, or at the very least suspected something. They’re all denying it, of course, but their children are far more vocal.”

“Having their abuser arrested most likely gave them the courage to speak out.” Goro sighed. “However, I wish I could say that the parent’s knowledge of the situation surprises me but, well.”

Sae frowned. “Already getting used to the ugly side of humanity? This job will do that to you.”

Goro had known about the ugly side of the world for almost his whole life. His whole existence was the result of what some people might call depravity. Goro thrived in that darkness. He was born in it.

“Still, it doesn’t make sense for someone like Kamoshida to suddenly confess.” Sae sat down, mimicking Goro’s crossed arms. “He was highly respected and from all accounts, not even in danger of being exposed.”

“Protected by the adults who benefitted off of him and the confident he’d never be exposed by the students that were terrified of him.” Goro added solemnly. His chest burned.

Sae glanced up at him. “I supposed so.”

“While I can’t help but be thankful that that man is no longer going to cause trouble, I must agree with you Sae-san. Something doesn’t add up here. And I intend to find out what that is.”

“Oh? You do?”

“Yes. As a matter of fact, I had been itching for a case of my own to investigate. Not that assisting you isn’t important work of course.”

Sae waved him off. “Don’t worry, I understand. Besides, you’re not even officially on my case. Technically, you can work on whatever you want.”

Goro smiled. “Thank you for understanding. Now then, I think I’m going to head to Leblanc. Care to join me?”

“I’m fine, thank you. Sorry for getting you addicted to caffeine, though.” She joked. Goro let a polite chuckle bubble from his lips.

“Oh, don’t worry, I was already heading down that road. However now I can spend my money locally instead of wasting it at Starbucks.”

Goro said his goodbyes and adjusted his gloves. In truth, he wasn’t going to Leblanc just for the coffee. It was an added bonus, sure, but the truth was that Goro wanted to go to do a little investigating of his own. And his lead? The strange, curly haired Shujin student.

There was something about him that Goro couldn’t seem to shake. A feeling that this random boy was a much bigger part of all this then Goro could see. Or maybe it was just coincidence that he kept popping up in the most random places where Goro happened to be.

Of course, if Goro had learned anything from his time pretending to be a genius detective, it was that coincidences were bullshit and there was most likely something deeper going on. 

With that thought in mind, Goro boarded the train.

Yongen was just the same, sleepy neighborhood as always. Goro didn’t expect any different, so when he walked into his new favorite haunt, he actually stopped dead in his tracks when he realized his person of interest was behind the counter in an apron.

“Ah, Akechi. Good to see you. Have a seat.” Sakura smiled at him and gestured to the tall chair at the counter that had become his normal spot.

“Thank you, Sakura-san.” Goro tried to regain his composer, sitting smoothly in at the counter and letting out a breath. He didn’t even realize he’d been holding it since he entered.

“What would you like?” Sakura asked.

“I’m not sure.” Goro said honestly. “May I ask for your recommendation?”

“Sure. I’d be happy to.” Sakura turned and then glanced over his shoulder. “Mind if he makes it? I’m teaching him the ropes.”

Goro looked to the other teenager. How was it that every time he so much as glanced at the odd boy, he could never see his eyes? At the moment, steam from the boiling kettle in his hands had completely fogged up his glasses. Goro bit back an unattractive snort.

“Not at all.”

Sakura sounded like a drill sergeant as he directed the boy. He was firm, not at all afraid of scolding him when he rushed something or missed a step. It took two tries before Sakura seemed pleased with the result and let the coffee be served to his customer. There was something to be said about the pride Sakura had for his tiny café. Goro might have to add this man to his list of adults who weren’t total bastards. (So far, his mother and Sae were the only ones on that list.)

“Here you go.” The boy was in front of him. The light from the window causing a white glare over his glasses.

Goro looked at the steaming cup of coffee in front of him. It looked darker than normal and smelled incredible. He hadn’t even taste it yet and already his expectations were high.

The odd boy stepped away, heading to the booths on the opposite wall to clean up after a customer. Goro could still feel those elusive eyes on his back.

The drink was hot, but not scalding. It warmed Goro up from the inside out, making his shoulders rise and eyes slipped closed. The strong bitter flavor smacked his taste buds, only to drift away to make room for a wonderful, hearty flavor. It was, in simple terms, fucking incredible.

“What do you think?” Sakura asked.

Goro placed his cup down gently. “Wonderful, Sakura-san. I might have a new favorite.”

The older man laughed. “Well, don’t commit to that just yet. I’ve got a whole stock of flavors for you to try.” Then, he turned back to the kitchen where his employee was drying dishes. “Hey, Ren. You hear that? You actually made a decent cup of coffee.”

The boy, Ren nodded. “Honestly, I’m just as surprised as you are.”

Goro couldn’t hold back his snort this time. He did not expect any sense of humor from such a stoic looking face.

Sakura on the other hand, sighed. “And here I thought you were learning how to be behave in front of my customers.”

“It’s quite alright, Sakura-san.” Goro insisted with a TV winning smile. “I don’t mind some well-placed humor.”

“Well, alright. Anyway, introduce yourself Ren. Don’t be impolite.”

Goro almost pointed out the fact that Sakura didn’t really give the kid a chance to talk until now, but refrained. After all, he didn’t want to annoy the old man. He constantly gave Goro refills for free.

“I’ll start.” Goro said. “My name is Goro Akechi.”

“Ren Amamiya. Nice to meet you.”

“And you as well.” Goro took another sip of his coffee. Maybe it was the strong caffeine chasing away his fatigue or maybe it was the fact that he still hadn’t seen Amamiya’s eyes and it was annoying, but Goro decided to jump right into things. “I hope you don’t mind me prying, Amamiya, but didn’t I see you in a Shujin Academy uniform the other day?”

The boy tilted his head to the side ever so slightly. “Uh, yeah? I just started there about a month ago.”

Interesting.

“Well then, I’m sure being a transfer student was hard enough on its own, but now you’ve got this whole business with that volleyball coach on top of it. Must be hard.” Goro kept his tone light, going for polite conversation instead of an interrogation.

Amamiya sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Yeah. I didn’t really know the teacher who confessed, but it sounded like he was big deal before all that.”

Goro hummed in agreement. “Yes, I suppose you wouldn’t’ have had much time at all to get a read on him. Still, even from an outsider’s perspective, it’s rather intriguing to watch. Although I have to say, I do not envy the school days you’ll have from here on out. I’m sure the press with be trying to wiggle their way inside the school gates for weeks.”

“Any chance you want to switch places for a week or two?” Amamyia joked in his dry tone.

“An interesting offer, though I must decline. I doubt we’d be able to fool anyone since our appearances are quite different.”

Amamiya shrugged. “Worth a shot.”

Goro made polite conversation for the next few minutes before heading out. He didn’t want to push his luck after finally pinning down Amamiya after the strange teens first appearance all that time ago.

Everything from his large glasses to his relaxed posture screamed normal. Almost overwhelmingly so. Amamiya seemed to have perfected being a fly on the wall. An unrecognizable face in a crowd. Which is why Goro felt so strongly that there was something more to the boy then anyone realized.

How was it that someone so unremarkable looking not only caught the young detective’s eye, but caused his attention to shift so dramatically? Something about Amamiya’s nonchalance was almost aggravating. So relaxed and carefree that it pissed Goro off. All of these feelings, and this was only Goro’s first conversation with him.

Or maybe what was really annoying him was the fact that he still couldn’t quite get a read on Amamiya. Goro was inclined to blame that on the round glasses the boy wore. All throughout their conversation, the detective could only catch a few brief glimpses of his eyes hidden under those frames. (Dark eyes, brown or possibly grey.) Goro never saw them long enough to truly _see_ Amamiya. While he talked with the other teen and learn the bare minimum about him, there was always so much more to learn about a person from their eyes. For most of the world, it revealed their truths. Laid bare their beliefs with the slightest twitch.

Amamiya wore those damn glasses like a mask. Hiding his true self behind black frames and somehow catching every bit of light to cast a glare over the lens. A bright, white glare, bordered by messy black bangs. It sort of reminded him of—

Goro nearly dropped his keys. He stood outside of his apartment door; brows furrowed.

“It can’t be that simple.” He mumbled to himself.

Buried deep in the back of his mind, Loki laughed.

In all fairness, it was a loose thread to follow. Finding visual similarities between Ren Amamiya and the thief in the white mask wasn’t that ground breaking. In fact, it wasn’t even a good theory to begin with. Plenty of people had dark hair like Amamiya. Sure, messy looking curls like that were a little less common, but not impossible.

The timing was the only other thing that could help this thin idea. Amamiya had only started at Shujin recently. And since Kamoshida went so long without facing any repercussions, _something_ had to have changed at that school in order for some form of justice to be served. Could Ren Amamiya be that something?

Based on the one conversation they had, Goro was inclined to say: hell fucking no.

His cell phone going off paused his ponderings. The number on the screen caused his irritation to spike.

Shido only ever called when he needed something done. Usually their chats happened at night, when Goro would most likely be at alone at home. Shido probably didn’t want to risk anyone overhearing their conversations. Taking a deep breath, Goro answered his phone.

“Good evening, Shido-san.” His voice was terribly fake, not that Shido would notice. Not that anyone noticed.

“I need you to check on something for me.” Typical Shido. Cutting straight to the point.

“Of course. What do you need?”

“You’re aware of Ichiryusai Madarame?”

“Yes.” Goro began pacing in his little living room. “If I recall correctly, his counterfeit sales provide quite the nice flow of funds for you campaign. Has something gone wrong?”

There was a grunt on the other end. “Not yet, however, I have reason to believe his loyalty is wavering.”

“Well, that’s not very smart of him, is it.” Goro made sure to feint and inkling of surprise. In truth, he was pretty sure everyone who worked under Shido was looking for ways to get out of it. The benefits of his name and power were always overshadowed by their own greed.

“No, it isn’t. I just need you to make sure Madarame’s interests still a line with ours. Can you do that, Akechi?”

“Consider it done, Shido-san. I will contact you soon with the results.”

“Good.” Shido hung up shortly after, not even bothering to exchange pleasantries.

Like with every call with his shitty father, Goro felt a strange rush of emotions. He never bothered to sort out said feelings, finding it far too complicated to do so. He worked much better without dwelling on how he felt in certain situations. If he started going over every flicker of emotion that crossed his mind, he might very well stumble and fall long before he reached his goal.

No, it was better this way. Pressing on and ignoring the voice in his head that told him to slow down. Goro had a feeling that it was Robin Hood telling him what to do in those moments. However, his second cognitive companion wasn’t nearly as demanding as Loki. He could easily ignore Robin Hood’s disappointed tone.

Goro stood in the middle of his living room for a while longer. It was a sparse space; one might even call it compact. His apartment was nothing more than a place to sleep and recharge, not a home. There were things that made it look comfortable, sure, but like most things in Goro’s life, it was a mask. A way to dress up his true self and hide it under the charming character he crafted.

Sure, he didn’t need to put quite this much effort into hiding his true self, but Goro discovered long ago that the best way to truly disguise himself was to go all out. To live as his chosen persona.

The first person he had to fool was himself, after all.

It was well past midnight by the time Goro decided to crawl into bed. As he drifted off to sleep, memories of a white domino mask floated through his dreams.

_"Goro, put your toys in the closet."_

_The little boy frowned and dragged his feet across the floor. He was stalling._

_"Now, Goro."_

_"...no." he said quietly. "I don't want to."_

_His mother sighed. She was wearing her glittery makeup. The kind she wore when Goro was shooed away and had to spend hours at the bath house down the street. Goro hated those nights. Ever since his mother lost her job at the grocery store, those night had been happening more often._

_"C'mon, sweetie. You know I don't have time to argue." she sighed._

_Goro looked around the room. There were only three toys in the small space. A raggedy stuffed lion with a missing eye, a colorful spaceship decorated with stickers and a plastic ray gun that desperately needed batteries. It was hardly messy. It wasn't like Goro had run around and left all his belongings scattered about. He was a fairly tidy child, his mother had even said so._

_Looking around once more, Goro frowned even more. His three measly toys were the only proof he lived in their apartment. There were no pictures of him or his mother on the walls. No snacks for kids on the counter. Not even a childs toothbrush in the bathroom. All of it was shoved into drawers or hidden in cupboards. All of it, all of_ him _, hidden away without a second thought._

_"Goro." his mother's tone was serious now. She stared at him, the glittery eyeshadow sparkling under her furrowed brows. In her hands was a small basket filled with everything he'd need for the bath house._

_Goro bit his lip and shuffled over to the nearest toy. He picked them up, one at a time, and cradled them in his arms. The closet was already full with their bed rolls and blankets. Goro didn't bother trying to hide his toys and instead placed them precariously on top of his folded blanket. With any luck, they'd fall. Crash into the closet door and cause a ruckus loud enough to catch attention. Maybe the sound of her sons few belongings would awaken something in his mother. Something that seemed to be fading with each passing day._

_"Here." his mother held out the basket. Some of the glitter had fallen to her cheeks. "I put some money under your towel so that you can get something at the vending machine."_

_"Okay." Goro said quietly. He took the basket. It felt impossibly heavy._

_"I'll come get you later, okay?"_

_"Okay."_

_"Goro..." his mother sucked in a heavy breath, letting it out in a whoosh. She reached out and brushed a lock of her sons hair out of his eyes. "It's getting long, isn't it?"_

_The little boy nodded._

_"Tomorrow, I'll cut it, okay?"_

_"'Kay."_

_His mother held his face in her hand, looking at his young face with something in her eyes. Something that Goro could never figure out._

_She kissed on him on the forehead and walked him to the door. Goro heard the lock close behind him, shutting him out from his home for the night._

* * *

Madarame had a unique cognitive world as well, not that Goro was surprised. His investigation inside led him to see that his greed was simply getting a bit too large to be acceptable. A simple threat from Shido and the man would be scared back into providing his original sum of money in no time. Maybe even more so.

No, nothing about Madarame’s gaudy museum was all that surprising.

Except for the fact that four— _no five?!_ — thieves were traipsing around the place like the had any fucking clue how these things worked.

Goro stood, frozen in place as irritation began making his stomach churn.

 _This is getting fun._ Loki said gleefully.

“Shut up.” Goro hissed. A boisterous laugh echoed in his head.

Goro got as close as he dared to the group. The new member had a white mask, though quite different from the apparent leader of the group. The mask greatly resembled a kitsune, which made all the more sense when the young woman in red called him Fox.

_Fox, Panther, Skull, Mona and…_

“Hey Joker, look! A treasure chest!” Skull called out with glee.

Joker turned, his long black coat trailing behind him. Goro was close enough to make out dark eyes framed by that mask. Grey eyes that looked sharp and intelligent, completely at odds with the casual way he strode up to the glowing chest.

Maybe he was wrong about Amamiya. There were similarities, of course, but now looking at the thief once again his theories seemed to crumble away. Ren Amamiya was far too reserved and normal to be this man.

Goro followed for a few moments longer. While he was interested to discover more about why they were here, to see them fight the cognitive Madarame and steal his Treasure, there were other things he needed to do first. Shido was an impatient man on a good day and Goro had already made him wait a whole day.

Still, knowing the Phantom Thieves were scurrying around Madarame’s head made Goro excited in a way. He was positive that in the days to follow, a red and black calling card with the artists name on it would turn up eventually.

Maybe with it, Goro could officially open a case against the Thieves.

_Now that idea has a lot of promise._


	4. Part Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And, there's nothing that I can say at all  
> You can't hold my heart no more

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated as of 1/28/21

To say that Shido was pissed after Madarame confessed would be an understatement.

Over the years, Goro had grown used to the different types of anger. Bouncing around different homes for so long gave him an up-close look at the multiple levels of rage. While the loud, fiery type of anger usually felt more impactful, Goro knew that it was the quiet rage that needed to be feared.

For the most part, when people got loud, it was because they themselves were losing control. Getting too overwhelmed by their own emotions and shoving them in the face of anyone in their way. But it was the quiet anger that Goro knew to be cautious of. When a person was furious and yet calm, that meant they were plotting. Their minds working on how to target the source of their anger and destroy it.

At that moment, Shido was quiet.

Goro stood with his arms crossed just out of Shido’s eye line. The man looked imposing behind his desk, the glittering Tokyo skyline completely at odds with five or so shitty people gathered in the office. Apparently Goro had underestimated just how much Madarame’s counterfeit scheme brought in. They were out millions.

His stupid yellow glasses gleaming, Shido was quietly directing the group around him. The tension his tone brought about was palpable, thick enough to actually feel pressing down on them. Thankfully, all that anger wasn’t focused on Goro himself.

Once his orders were given, Shido’s men filed out one by one. They all had new tasks to undertake, new sources of income to grab and squeeze dry. Goro on the other hand…

“Akechi.” The man behind the desk stood. “What do you think. Are these, _Phantom Thieves_ , a threat?”

Goro tried not to roll his eyes. “Definitely not. If anything, they simply seem like a group of self-righteous fools who stumbled upon a power they don’t fully understand.”

“So, you believe they’re using the cognitive world?”

“That is my theory, yes. How else would they be able to change a person at their foundations?”

Shido nodded. His attention drifted to the wide window. For a moment, Goro had a vision of the bastard crashing through, the glass glittering like the lights below. Goro shut his eyes tightly and tried to chase the image from his mind. Sometimes, Loki liked to remind him of his true feelings every once in a while. _Conniving asshole_. 

“I want you to look into these, _Thieves_.” Shido ordered.

Goro couldn’t keep the grin from his face. “Of course, Shido-san. I’ll begin immediately.”

“Good. Maybe we can use their naivety to our advantage.”

Goro could picture the villainous grin on the man’s face. Something over the top, reminiscent of an antagonist in a cartoon. He really was predictable at times.

With his orders set, Goro left as soon as he could. He hated spending any more time with his bastard father then he had too. Still, his obedient-pawn armor was wholly intact, creating the illusion that he was glad to take orders. That he was eager to.

Though, for the first time, Shido’s plans allied with his own. Goro was intrigued by the Phantom Thieves and their power to change hearts. For all the time he spent in the cognitive world, Goro had no idea how they did it.

He needed to follow them, study them closely and find out both who they were and how their powers worked. Although he hated to admit it, Shido had a point. They could very well use the Thieves as a scapegoat should things begin to unravel.

 _You didn’t tell him._ A deep voice rumbled in his mind. Goro glanced around, making sure that what he heard was in his head and not creeping up behind him. The street outside Shido’s office was dark and practically empty. Not very many people ventured into this side of the financial district in the middle of the night. 

_You’ve no hope of ignoring me. We are one._

“Robin Hood…” Goro sighed. The other side of his heart could be a nosy bastard at times. Though, Goro supposed they shared that trait.

_You didn’t tell him. That you’ve seen the Thieves work before. Kamoshida. Madarame._

“That’s because he didn’t ask.” He replied softly. A gruff sigh was almost drowned out by Loki’s mad laughter. Goro began wondering if the Thieves had to deal with this ridiculous criticism from their persona’s. Perhaps he was just unlucky.

Though… Robin Hood did have a point. Goro _didn’t_ tell Shido that he had seen the thieves nearly two months ago, wandering around in Kamoshida’s cognitive world. He didn’t tell him about the four strangers in masks like his own, the strange cat-like creature that fought alongside them. Goro had acted like everything he knew of the thieves was the bare minimum. No more or less then Shido himself.

Why did he do that?

Why?

Lying to Shido was second nature to Goro. Lying in general was his talent. But why did he lie about this?

_Its…it’s just because—_

_Well fuck, I don’t know._ Goro huffed. It was too inconsequential to waste time on something like that. He had much bigger things to focus on. And apparently, one of those things was the massive pile of letters waiting for him at the reception desk of his apartment.

“Ah, Akechi-kun, good evening.” The women behind the desk smiled, bending over in a slight bow. On the counter beside her was a box filled to the brim. “These all came for you throughout the day.”

“Really?” Goro blinked. His mind was torn between trying to figure out why the sudden influx of mail and also how the hell did so many people know where he lived? He couldn’t figure out which was more important at the moment.

“Yes.” The woman laughed. “I have a feeling more will trickle in through the week. Well, would you like some help carrying it up to your floor?”

“Hm? Oh, no. I’ll be fine, thank you.” Goro set his attaché case on top of the box and lifted it off the counter. It was much heavier than it looked.

“Alright then, good night Akechi-kun. And happy birthday!”

Goro nearly tripped. “T-thank you.” He hurried to the elevators before she noticed the look on his face. A look of complete and utter surprise.

It took a fair bit of juggling to get his keys in to his apartment door. Once inside, Goro kicked off his shoes and carried the box over to his small kitchen table. He placed his attaché case off to the side and stared at the heap of letters.

It was fan mail, of course it was, all of them in brightly colored envelopes with his name written in bold handwritings. Some had stickers or little doodles and Goro was fairly certain some had been sprayed with sweet perfumes. It was giving him a headache.

Goro pulled his phone out and double checked the date. It was June third now, but just a few hours ago, he had turned eighteen. For a moment, Goro wondered if he should have felt different in some way. Like passing this milestone would set off fireworks or give him a sense of accomplishment.

Nothing really felt different.

Goro leafed through letters sent by his fans. It was rude to just throw them out, but in the confines of his apartment, he didn’t have to be polite. Goro rummaged through his closet before finding a spare paper shopping bag. He dumped all the letters inside and set them by the door so that he could drop them in the recycling in the morning.

* * *

When he was a child, his mother never forgot his birthday. She would always spend the day with him. Take him somewhere like the planetarium or the park, even though she was tired all the time. They would share a piece of chocolate cake from whatever little café they could find and then she would give him a gift.

Goro lost most of the things she gave him between foster homes. The other siblings he been settled with were always older and meaner, pushing him down and rummaging through his things whenever he turned his back. It might have been because he was always so small and fragile looking. Or maybe they were afraid of a younger child taking their place. Either way, I didn’t excuse the fact that they were assholes. 

The toy ray gun he’d gotten for his seventh birthday was the first thing to disappear. After that, the kaleidoscope his mother had gotten for him at a street fair. Little by little, it all vanished. Goro knew who it was. He knew who took each item usually as soon as it was gone. But no one believed him when he cried. They didn’t even bother to check.

Missing t-shirts, a hat, a lion plush and finally a picture book. It all dwindled down until the only thing he had left was a frame he and his mother made one day at the children’s museum. The picture inside of it was taken the very same day.

It was crudely made, of course. Goro was only four at the time. There were sequences glued on in random spots, glitter falling off the bottom half. Construction paper cut out into hearts and stars decorating the corners and drawn on squiggly lines filling in the empty spaces. No bully he ever encountered would be crazy enough to steal it. It held no value to them since it wasn’t a toy. But to Goro, it was everything. A constant reminder of what he had lost.

Looking at it now, in the dim light coming from the street lights outside, Goro wonders how he didn’t see it before. The deep sadness that lived in his mother. Her eyes were so much like his own, and yet they looked like the eyes of a stranger. Empty. Void of life.

Not for the first time, Goro wondered just what kept her going for as long as she did. Was it him? Maybe, though Goro sometimes felt like he was more of a burden to her then anything. While he didn’t doubt that she loved him, he also knew that love wasn’t some incredible cure all. 

Love can be a poison. It can consume a person; dig it’s claws into one’s heart and tear away any sense of rational a person has.

Love can kill. It can drive people to their limits and cause them to do awful things. To either the ones around them or themselves.

Love is probably what ended up killing his mother. Her deep feelings for a man who would never love her back. Who would sooner throw her to the sharks then even acknowledge their history. A man that Goro would break into pieces when the time was right.

Goro stared at the picture for a while longer. His mother’s tired smile and his own young face looking back at him. With a gloveless finger, he traced the edge of the frame slowly.

Goro tucked the frame under his mattress. He didn’t want anyone else seeing it. The picture and the frame were the only precious things he had left in the world. He had to protect them.

* * *

A few days after his birthday, Goro was invited to do a television interview.

Word had spread quickly about his interest in the Phantom Thieves, a rumor he helped along by him dropping their name whenever fans or press caught him in the city. The station was very keen to get the young detective’s opinion on the matter and Goro was more than happy to oblige.

Having been on the show a few times, Goro already knew how the process worked. First things first, meetings.

Goro made his way through the studio, mentally preparing himself for sitting in a room full of adults who would probably address him like he was a dumb child. Until, of course, Goro reminded them with just a few words that he was in fact, far smarter than them. His concentration was broken at the sound of young voices.

Goro slowed down, stepping more carefully to muffle his footsteps. It wasn’t too often that other people his age were hanging around the station. A tour perhaps? That happened sometimes. Or maybe they were simply audience members milling about while they waited for the next taping. Out of curiosity, Goro began listening into their conversation.

“I get how you feel though... that sucked for the both of us.” A young female voice sighed.

Another voice, a boy, groaned. “Ugh, we gotta do more of this tomorrow too…?”

“Hey, no flaking out, Ryuji.”

 _Huh. That voice sounded familiar._ Goro paused, stopping just around the corner from the conversation. 

“I know, I know. I gotta be a ‘good boy’, right.” They loud one, Ryuji, grumbled. “Man, being phantom thieves ain’t easy.”

_…oh you’ve got to be fucking kidding me._ For once, it was Goro’s own thoughts rattling around his brain instead of Loki and Robin Hood’s commentary. Maybe they were shocked into silence for once.

There was no way, _no fucking way_ , the people around the corner were the actual Phantom Thieves. For starters, what kind of brainless imbeciles would they have to be to openly discuss their identities in public? It felt impossible that someone would be that stupid.

On the topic of impossibilities, what were the odds that Goro would just so happen to walk by at the moment this conversation was taking place? It was impossible, unbelievable, insane.

It almost felt like fate.

The conversation carried on while he was ruminating. That familiar high-pitched voice was saying something about pancakes now. A hazy memory of the cat-like creature he caught glimpses of in the cognitive world came to mind. Could that thing really be just around the hall? How had no one noticed it yet?

Soon his curiosity became too much to bear. Goro straighten his posture and strode around the corner.

“Oh.” Goro’s eyes widened, genuinely surprised. “Amamiya. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Ren Amamiya looked as plain as ever. His summer uniform looked as natural on him as the apron he wore at Leblanc.

“I could say the same to you.” Amamiya had an easy smile on his face. Totally relaxed and confident. It made a tiny flag flare in the back of Goro’s mind. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m simply here for a meeting about tomorrows shoot. Now that I think about, I was told that a school group would be a part of the audience tomorrow. So, I guess will be filming together.” Goro wore his polite smile, his eyes never drifting from Amamiya’s grin.

“Filming? What, are you a celebrity?” the brash blonde boy asked.

“Only to the extent of appearing on TV a couple of times.” He chuckled. “Oh, where are my manners, my name is Goro Akechi. I don’t believe we’ve met before.”

The girl spoke up first. “My name is Ann. Ann Takamaki. It’s nice to meet you.” Her tone was perfectly sweet, but Goro could see she was working through something. Probably trying to figure out where she recognized him from.

“Names Ryuji Sakamato. So how do you know Ren?”

Takamaki shook her head. “Wow, way to be polite Ryuji.”

“What? I’m just askin’ a question!” the boy was all bluster and no filter. It was no wonder he was the one to blurt out about their phantom thieves’ status.

“You didn’t even say nice to meet you or give him a second to reply back. No wonder everyone still calls you a troublemaker…”

“H-hey!”

Goro couldn’t help it, he laughed. It was a controlled sound, but still laced with genuine amusement. If these kids truly were the Phantom Thieves of Heart, then Goro’s plans would come together easily.

When he looked up, three sets of eyes were staring at him. Amamiya was still smiling.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to cause offense. In fact, I find your bickering to be quiet charming. You all seem like close friends.”

Amamiya shrugged “Nah, Ann just genuinely thinks were hopeless and tries her best to make us functioning members of society. Not sure if it’s working yet, though.”

Goro laughed again while Sakamato grumbled.

“It sounds like a joke, but last week I had to physically stop Ren from buying all the flavors of this tea out of like, five vending machines.” She sighed. “Really, who needs that many bottled teas? If you want to buy in bulk, just go to the grocery store.”

“They never have the brand I like. Besides, it’s only a could hundred yen.”

“You’re just as a bad a Yusuke, I swear.”

Amamiya tilted his head to the side in another shrug. It seemed to be his go to gesture since he didn’t really speak all that much. His large glasses slid down his noes ever so slightly, finally getting rid of that annoying white glare. When Goro looked over, he was pinned to the ground with familiar gray eyes.

Sharp grey eyes, filled with both mirth and intelligence. Eyes that seemed to hold so many secrets and was completely unbothered by all of them. A frustrating mix of hyper awareness and complete nonchalance.

_…could he really be?_

Goro’s phone buzzed in his pocket before he could truly start speculating. The producer was texting him.

“Ah, my apologies, but I was actually just passing by.” He said. “I do have a meeting to get to after all.”

“Oh! Don’t’ worry about it.” Takamaki waved him off. “Sorry for holding you up, but it was really nice to meet you!”

“You as well. I guess I’ll see you all tomorrow for the filming.”

“Yep! See you then!”

Amamiya’s eyes were hidden once again. “See you at Leblanc sometime?”

Goro nodded. “Of course. You know I’m practically addicted to Sakura-san’s coffee. I’m sure you’ll see me later this week.”

With a final polite goodbye, Goro turned to head down the hall.

“Oh, so that’s how you know him. He hangs out at Leblanc?” Sakamato asked in a loud voice.

“Yeah. He was the first person to try my coffee.” Amamiya answered in a more volume appropriate tone. “He said it was his new favorite.”

“Aww how sweet!” Takamaki cooed.

Goro paused. Did he really say that? He honestly couldn’t remember. Goro was half tempted to continue eavesdropping for a while longer, but he really did have a meeting to get to. It was busy work, keeping up appearances, but it had to be done.

* * *

Ren’s first impression of Goro Akechi was that he had burning stars for eyes. Sitting at the counter of Leblanc, his eyes were practically glowing in the dim lighting. He didn’t get much chance to learn anything else the first time. Sojiro was still convinced that Ren was a truly a delinquent at the time and practically chased him upstairs out of the café.

Ren’s second impression, the time he got to serve Akechi a cup of coffee, was that he was pretty attractive. Ren was surprised that he didn’t notice it the first time. Maybe if he had a second longer, he would have noticed the almost graceful way Akechi moved. The way his long hair fell perfectly around his face in soft waves. Or the fact that he looked like an idol that belonged in the spotlight, instead of simply a young man spending time in a hole in the wall café.

The idol part turned out to be a little truer than Ren realized.

Morgana had to call his name four times to get his attention the first time Ren saw him on TV. Akechi looked made for the screen. Perfectly polite, with charming wit and a lovely smile.

A smile that felt…off. Ren couldn’t really say what was wrong, but there was something not quite right. Like sitting on a chair where one leg was slightly shorter.

The thought quickly drifted from his mind when Morgana jumped on his shoulders. Cat claws digging into your skin would do that.

Goro Akechi kept popping up into his life, and Ren welcomed it. He wouldn’t tell Ann or Ryuji, but he chose the TV Station as his field trip on the off chance that he would see the detective. It was a long shot, but one that paid off.

Ren sat at the end of a row while he listened to Akechi bad talk the Phantom Thieves. Basically, declaring war on the them and telling them in plain words that he was going to find them and arrest them. It put a damper on any feelings that might have taken root, but Ren tried to ignore his disappointment.

“Oh! I almost forgot, wasn’t it your birthday day recently, Akechi-kun?” the bubbly lady host seemed to be in charge of keeping things light.

Akechi looked a little taken aback by the sudden change of topic, but he recovered quickly. “You are correct. I turned eighteen just last week.”

“Well happy belated birthday!” the man said cheerfully. “I bet you had quiet the celebration!”

“Ah, to be honest, I had almost completely forgotten about my birthday altogether.” The crowd was a mix of gasps and aww’s. Ren sat up a little straighter as Akechi continued. “If it wasn’t for the cards I had received from some of my fans, I probably wouldn’t have realized it till much later. If I may, I’d like to take this moment to say thank you for all the birthday wishes.”

Akechi talked directly to the camera, smiling like picture perfect prince he was. The crowd fell in love instantly.

“Aww that’s so sweet! Your fans are certainly dedicated.” The woman (Ren really should have paid attention to their names) smiled.

Akechi chuckled. “I am very lucky, yes.”

“Well, you’re such a charming young man, it’s no wonder you have so many fans!” the male host added. A round of applause echoed through the audience.

Ren crossed his arms and sat back in the uncomfortable studio chair. A plan was forming in his mind and—

 _Oh shit_ , the lady host was walking towards him with a microphone.

* * *

Even though he was itching to get back to Leblanc, it ended up being a full two weeks before Goro had time to visit his favorite coffee shop. His bold claims against the Phantom Thieves caught everyone’s attention, and Goro found himself in a media whirlwind he hadn’t seen in a while. Not since he first gained the moniker of ‘the second coming of the detective prince’. It was exhausting, but exhilarating at the same time.

However, Goro was biting at the chance to get to Leblanc and study Amamiya face to face. Ever since that day at the station, when he overheard Sakamato stupidly calling himself a phantom thief, Goro had been itching to find evidence. He was fairly certain that Sakamato was thick-headed enough to accidently let that information slip. Of course, being a detective, Goro knew he would never be truly satisfied until he had physical proof.

So, on a warm Sunday morning near the end of June, Goro made his way to Yongen-Jaya. He had no prior commitments to attend and a head full of questions. He was ready.

Café Leblanc was just as charming as ever. There was an older couple in the far booth and behind the counter, a familiar head of unruly dark hair. Amamiya glanced up when the bell above the door chimed. His face seemed to actually light up when he realized it was Goro. It was…something.

“Hey, Akechi. Been a while.” Amamiya set down the book he was reading, focusing his full attention on his new customer. Goro felt something in his chest twinge. He ignored it.

“Good morning, Amamiya.” He said pleasantly. “It has been some time. I meant to stop by earlier but unfortunately my schedule’s been rather busy.”

“Can’t be easy being a detective and a student all at once. I can hardly manage just being a student.” Amamiya motioned to the book he was reading a few moments ago. From the cover, Goro could see it was a history text book.

“Well, I’m pretty lucky to be honest. My teachers are pretty lenient about due dates. If they weren’t, I doubt I’d be handling any of this well at all.”

Amamiya laughed, his gray eyes peeking out from behind his glasses. The barista set to work making Goro his morning coffee.

“Where’s Sakura-san?” Goro asked. He sat in his usual seat, setting his attaché case on the chair next to him. There was never a crowd at the café so it wasn’t going to be in the way.

“He went out to get groceries. Left me alone for a few hours.”

Goro couldn’t resist. “Well, I hope he has good insurance. Who knows what could happen with you in charge?”

“I said the same thing. And for some reason, he still decided to go out.” He shrugged, a playful smile on his face.

Amamiya set down a hot cup in front of Goro. The rich aroma floated in the air, causing him to take a deep breath. Amamiya was really getting good at making coffee.

Goro chatted with the barista for a while. With each easy grin and confident movement behind the counter, Goro became more and more convinced. This had to be the one they called Joker.

Ren Amamiya had perfected his armor just as Goro had all those years ago. His quiet demeanor and average appearance hid the wickedly charming young man underneath. And the funny thing was, Amamiya wasn’t even as plain looking as Goro first believed.

His dark curls were almost artfully ruffled, soft and shiny in the light. His eyes, whenever they decided to appear, were framed by thick lashes that probably brushed against his glasses all the time. He was tall and sure to grow even taller to fill out his long limbs. And the soft smile that he wore sometimes…

Goro wasn’t sure why Ren Amamiya had crafted such a plain armor, but the fact that he had one at all meant that he was hiding from something. Protecting himself from some force Goro couldn’t see. He was itching to figure out what that was.

Goro nearly jumped when a plate was set down in front of him. He looked up to see Amamiya, his face turned away and eyes unreadable.

“I…don’t recall ordering any food.” Goro said cautiously. Had he really been so distracted that he didn’t notice Amamiya cooking?

“You uh, didn’t.” he shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “A while ago, back at that TV filming, you said you forgot your birthday. That you didn’t have a party or do anything to celebrate.”

Goro stared at Amamiya. For once his mind was blank. “I supposed I did. Say that, I mean.”

The other boy shrugged. “Birthdays were never really a big deal in my house. My parents were always busy and sometimes forgot altogether. I guess I…I don’t know, I guess I’m just weird about birthdays now. I don’t like seeing my friends be forgotten, even if it’s just a silly accident.”

Goro felt his stomach churn in a way he’d never felt before. It wasn’t a bad feeling, just a strange one. Like his gut decided to flutter randomly. It reminded him of—

Butterflies.

Wiping that thought from his mind, Goro looked down at the plate presented to him. He let out an unattractive huff.

“Pancakes? Really?”

Amamiya laughed. “Hey, they’re chocolate chip pancakes. Give me some credit.”

“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but why pancakes? I’m fairly certain cake is more appropriate for birthdays.”

“Eh, didn’t have time to make a cake. It was either this or curry.”

Goro laughed again, regaining control of his tone. The pancakes looked pretty good, surprisingly. Fluffy and golden brown. There were just enough chocolate chips dotting the treats to look picturesque.

“Thank you, Amamiya.” Goro said. There was a level of sincerity in it his tone that frighten him. Goro tried to not to think too much about it.

“You’re welcome. Happy birthday, Akechi.”

_Hahaha! Oh, you’re fucked._ Goro could just picture Loki’s gleeful grin.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is turning out to be something more then I originally intended lol. So just a heads up, the chapter quantity might change. Also i'm probably going to be changing the chapter titles and summaries too, but that's not too big of a change tbh.   
> Anywho, sorry for the wait, but my brain just threw a whole lot of ideas at me and I needed time to sort them lol. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

If there was one thing Goro was good at it was compartmentalizing. Everything had a label and every label had its proper place. A category where it was stored to either be utilized at a different date or locked away, never to see the light of day again.

The feeling that took root when Ren fucking Amamiya made him a plate of chocolate chip pancakes for his birthday, nearly a month after the day, were dropped into a metal box and then punted to the deepest depths of Goro’s heart.

Emotions like that were distractions. They led to other things, like remorse and guilt. Things that would chip away at his anger and turn it against him. Goro couldn’t afford to lose it now. Not when he was getting so close to his goal. Masayoshi Shido came first. In his life, Shido and revenge always came first.

 _Kind of fucked up, don’t you think?_ Loki huffed. Goro suddenly had the urge to slam his head into the wall. He had been trying and failing to sleep for the past hour.

Loki had been relatively talkative lately. Thankfully the manic in his heart only really bothered him when Goro was alone. It would be rather unbecoming if the perfect student detective had suddenly started talking to himself where ever he went. It would have changed his image from clever to crazy in a matter of days.

Goro rolls onto his back and stared at the ceiling. Sometimes, the shadows would move and he would see Loki’s familiar silhouette. Goro would blink a moment later and the shadows would go back to normal.

“What are you talking about.” Goro sighed. He learned long ago that ignoring either one of his persona’s was a bad idea. They’d just pester him until he blew up.

 _Why is it that the object of our rage takes up so much of you?_ Loki asked, his tone surprisingly serious for once. _He is nothing. A stain on this world and the next one we send him to. He doesn’t deserve this kind of devotion._

“It’s not devotion.” Goro snapped. “You’re making it sound like I idolize the man.”

_Don’t you?_

“Shut _up_.” Goro threw his blanket off and stood. His pulse was beginning to pound in his ears. “You don’t know anything.”

_That’s where your wrong, **lillebror**. I am thou and thou art I. Or have you forgotten?_

Goro wanted to throw something. Or better yet, he wanted to punch something. Loki may be a part of him, but he was _wrong_. Focusing on his goal of tearing Shido down wasn’t a bad thing, and it certainly didn’t mean that he looked up to the man in any way.

He was wrong, Loki was _fucking wrong_.

But still, those words began burrowing in his brain. Goro tried to lock them away. He wasn’t sure how long they’d stay hidden.

* * *

With all his energy being spent on burying certain things, Goro was once again caught off guard when Junya Kaneshiro walked himself up to the police station in broad daylight. Another pointless victory for the Phantom Thieves, and another Shido induced headache for Goro.

It wasn’t his fault that Ren Amamiya had to go and make things complicated. It was hard enough fitting in time with his schedule to tail Amamiya normally. Now adding in the fact that every time he saw that stupid hair and those stupid glasses, the hazy image of fluffy pancakes came to his mind.

Fucking pancakes.

Goro made a vow shortly after to never eat pancakes again.

The fact was that Goro was avoiding Amamiya. Which was utterly pathetic in so many ways. Goro had plenty of evidence. Circumstantial though it may be, it was the foundation for his inevitable takeover of the Phantom Thieves. Goro knew that the next step was to figure out who the Thieves were going to target and then follow them. Confirm in both this world and the cognitive world that Ren Amamiya was Joker. The leader, or so Goro believes.

Only problem? Pancakes. And whatever fucked up emotion the thought of pancakes stirred up inside him. 

But Goro was stronger than this. He never faltered in his goals before, charging blindly ahead in every instance and bearing the scars to prove it. Spending time with Amamiya was nothing in comparison. A crack in the side walk, an ant on the road. A loner living in an attic above a shitty café in a shitty neighborhood.

Goro actually stopped walking and blinked. Maybe he’d gone too far insulting Leblanc, even if it was only in his head. The little café was truly growing on him and he’d missed going there for a warm drink every few days. No, Leblanc was still in his good graces and it always would be. It’s resident barista however…

“Welcome—oh. Hey, long time no see.” Amamiya was behind the counter, his apron covered in coffee grounds.

“Afternoon, Amamiya.” Goro smiled, ignoring the way his pulse jumped “It had been a while, hasn’t it?”

He sat at his usual spot, glancing around the quiet café. A black and white cat was sitting up in one of the booths. Its round blue eyes were staring at him.

“You have a cat?” Goro asked. He was happy to have found the perfect conversation starter.

Amamiya glanced around, taking a moment to spot the little cat. “Yeah, his name’s Morgana. He followed me home one day.”

The cats tail twitched.

“Really? How funny. I didn’t think that happened outside of movies.”

Amamiya shrugged. “Yeah. I guess I’m just a magnet for them though. The cats around the neighborhood follow me sometimes too. My friend Ann says it’s because I was probably a cat in my past life.”

Goro chuckled. “I think I’m inclined to agree. Though that’s only based on casual observation. I’m sure Takamaki-san has far more conclusive evidence.”

Amamiya laughed, though it sounded like a snort. “You could say that. Anyway, here’s you drink.”

A steaming cup of coffee was placed in front of Goro. The familiar sight made him smile. Amamiya excused himself for a moment, saying that the cat really wasn’t supposed to be in the café during business hours. That’s when something unusual happened.

Amamiya scooped up the cat, and instead of a grumpy meow, the little creature spoke. In a very familiar voice.

“Argh! Put me down! I can walk myself y’know.” The cat, Morgana shrieked.

“Stop complaining.” Amamiya huffed. “You know you’re not supposed to be down here.”

“It’s Saturday! No one comes in for hours! Besides, I know you just want to kick me out so that you can flirt with Akechi.”

Goro nearly dropped his cup. Did that cat just…

The rest of the conversation was lost as Amamiya rushed up the stairs with the squirming cat in tow. Goro only had a few moments to himself to process what just happened.

So.

The cat could talk. And based on evidence, the normal looking feline that he had just seen was in fact the same anthropomorphic creature he’d spotted in the cognitive world all that time ago. In addition to that, Goro had heard Morgana’s voice in the real world once before, at the TV station back in June. Goro had almost forgotten about that, or at least he forgotten to put much more thought into it. But now it seemed that Morgana took on the appearance of a normal cat in this world and tagged along with Amamiya occasionally. Or maybe more than occasionally. Goro now had to be even more careful to what he said to Amamiya. There could very well be a third party listening in at times.

As for the flirting comment….

Goro didn’t really bother evaluating that. It was probably just poorly worded joke. Nothing to read into. No, nothing at all

~~Unless…~~

“Sorry about that.” Amamiya stepped behind the counter once again. “Sojiro would kill me if Morgana was down here while we had customers.”

“I don’t mind. Cat or no cat.” Goro sipped his drink. “Are you running the café again today?”

“Just for an hour or so. Boss had something to take care of. He should be taking over soon.”

“Ah.”

The TV in the background was set to that annoying talk show that often invited Goro on for an interview. They wanted him to come in and give his opinion on the Kaneshiro case, but Goro was avoiding it. The hostess always hugged him far longer then what was considered polite. 

“Are you doing anything later?” Amamiya asked. Goro’s mind flashed back to Morgana’s flirting comment for a brief moment.

“No, I don’t think so.” He answered casually. “Why do you ask?”

Amamiya rubbed the back of his neck, almost like he was shy. It had to be a show. “Well, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out? Since every time I see you its either an accident or I’m in an apron.”

Goro cracked a smile. On one hand, spending time with Amamiya would be the perfect opportunity to learn more about him. Weasel out information like who he was closest too and where his common haunts were. Basic information that might help determine who would be the next target for the Thieves. Goro had a suspicion that their targets were personal. It was no coincidence that Kamoshida was the first target after all.

Yes, having Ren Amamiya all to himself for an evening was the perfect plan. Of course, on the other hand, there was pancakes.

Goro felt the urge to laugh at himself. Without realizing, he started using the world ‘pancakes’ as a representation to whatever twisted feelings were churning his stomach when Amamiya was concerned. Well, he was one to compartmentalize after all.

“I think that sound like a great idea, Amamiya.” Goro smiled sweetly. “What did you have in mind?”

Amamiya froze, his smile only half formed. “…Actually I have no idea. I didn’t really have a plan when I asked.”

Goro tried not to roll his eyes. “Well, if I may make a suggestion, what about billards? There’s a spot in Kichijoji that just opened up. It looks pretty popular already.”

“Sounds good to me. Fair warning, I have no idea if I’m good at pool or not.”

“Don’t worry, Amamiya. I’ll go easy on you.”

* * *

It took every ounce of strength Ren had not to make a dirty joke. He could literally feel the words bursting from his tongue, only stopped by him physically biting his lip. He was kind of proud that he had that much self-restraint. He probably had Makoto to thank for that. She, like Ann, was determined to make sure Ren was a functioning member of society.

Which was weird, considering that they were a bunch of loners that banded together to shake up the terrible foundations that their society was based on. Of course, Ren wasn’t about to point out this bit of hypocrisy. Makoto might actually slap him.

Makoto and Ann’s pointless crusade aside, making a dirty joke in front of your casual friend that might also be your crush probably wouldn’t be the best thing to do. Especially since Ren still wasn’t really sure what Akechi thought of him.

Calling him a friend seemed safe, as is Akechi didn’t react badly or strangely when Ren called him that. But with how little they saw each other, were they actually friends? Was there a certain landmark they had yet to reach to make them friends?

As embarrassing as it was to admit, Ren didn’t know. He didn’t have a ton of friends back home. At least, not _real_ friends. Not like he thought they were.

No, the people he knew back home pretty much dropped him as soon as those false charges were pinned on him. No one wanted to be seen with the unruly criminal. He was dropped by his small friend group faster than Yusuke could deplete his bank account. Which was saying something.

It was fine though, really. Moving to Tokyo was literally the best thing that could have happened to him. He found real friends, ones that suck by him no matter what, put up with his quite demeanor that completely juxtaposed his dumb humor. They actually liked seeing him in and out of school, invited him to things, gave him gifts just because.

Yeah, the circumstances that got him here weren’t great, but Ren was almost grateful to that bald-headed bastard.

Almost.

With his new definition of friends, Ren still wasn’t quite sure where Goro Akechi fit. There was a place that Ren wanted him to be, well…maybe? Was it too soon to think that? It was a little spot, nestled close to his heart. A place that Ren really hadn’t thought was even there.

Or maybe he was just being a hormonal teenager. Because truth be told, Akechi was really hot.

Yeah, that might be it.

“Our stop it next.” Akechi said.

Ren tried his hardest not to jump. He was always zoning out when he rode the subway. It was amazing he hadn’t been mugged yet. Having Morgana as, basically, a guard cat helped too.

Ren hadn’t been to Kichijoji yet in all his subway travels. He swore, between Ann and Ryuji, those two were determined to show him every square inch of the city in their spare time. If they didn’t have their double lives to eat up most of their afternoons, Ren suspected that he would have Tokyo and its surrounding neighborhoods completely mapped out by now. 

Still, there was something excited about going to a new place with Akechi. For some reason, it made the trip feel more special. Ren wondered if Akechi felt the same. He wondered if the polite detective prince felt anything more than just friendly towards him. 

That was a question for Future Ren to overanalyze. Present Ren was going to enjoy the moment for what it was. A Morgana-free afternoon with his friend/possible— _who the fuck am I kidding_ —definite crush. 

Should be a blast.

* * *

Amamiya wasn’t bad, per-say. He was adequate, an annoyingly quick study, and utterly charming without even trying. Even the time when he accidently jabbed himself in the stomach lining up a shot was strangely endearing. Goro was sure that he was getting sick or something. All these feeling for someone he hardly knew was not normal.

What was normal was Goro deciding to switch his hands mid game. It almost seemed mean to beat Amamiya so thoroughly. Besides, playing with his right gave him a chance to practice even more with his less dominate hand. Being ambidextrous was surprisingly useful in both his lines of work.

Goro watched at his last ball landed neatly in the pocket. A perfect finish.

“And that’s game.” He smiled. Goro turned to Amamiya to see those curious gray eyes starting at him. “You alright, Amamiya? I didn’t get chalk on my shirt, did I?”

He shook his head, curls bouncing. “No, no, nothing like that. It’s just, well—aren’t you left-handed?”

Goro blinked, surprised. This unassuming boy really was more observant then Goro gave him credit for.

“I am.” He finally answered. “I’m…honestly surprised you noticed. I’m pretty proficient with my right hand, I can even use chopsticks. No one’s ever noticed when I switch.”

“Guess I’m the only really one watching you.” Amamiya shrugged. Goro filed that comment away for later. “Why did you switch?”

“Well, it’s nothing against you, but going all out against a beginner felt a little gauche.” He shrugged.

“Next time, don’t hold back on my account. I bet with a bit of practice; I could win.”

Goro felt his competitive streak flare. “We’ll see. Now, care for some dinner?”

There weren’t too many places in Kichijoji that Goro like to eat. Even his beloved Jazz Jin only had appetizers. Though, Goro was fairly certain that he wasn’t going to share the jazz club with anyone, let alone someone like Ren Amamiya. No one was allowed to know about his favorite spot. Not even his most zealous fans had tracked him down there.

So, Goro let Amamiya take the lead. Predictably, they ended up back in Shinjuku. Thankfully, Amamiya had better sense then to take him to Big Bang Burger. It would have taken an enormous amount of restraint not to shove that curly haired disaster into the busy street.

Goro really hated Big Bang Burger.

Instead they arrived at a cluttered diner above the crepe shop. There were a few students huddled together in some of the booths. Plates scraped clean of food and text books scattered everywhere. Goro had the sudden realizations that exams were soon.

“Yeah, my exams are next week too.” Amamiya sighed as he sat. He must have seen Goro staring at the messy study group.

“Is it bad that I completely forgot about exams?” Goro joked.

“Eh, not really.” Amamiya shrugged. “I forget all the time too. If it wasn’t for my friend Makoto, I wouldn’t even remember to study. She literally texts me every night to remind me.”

Goro chuckled. He filed away that name for later. If he remembered correctly, Sae had a sister named Makoto that attended Shujin. What are the odds that it was the same girl? Going off of Amamiya’s track record, it was very likely.

“Aren’t you a third year?” Amamiya asked. “Exams are even more important for you.”

Goro nodded. “Yes, I suppose they are, but I’m not too concerned. I have quite the memory and my teachers provide excellent notes for the days I miss because of work.”

“Is that just a polite way of saying your like, a genius?”

“Yes, I suppose it is.” Goro grinned. He did so love a good compliment. 

The two ordered and chatted while they waited. Well, Goro talked. Amamiya listened.

It was both frustrating and relieving to have someone just sit and listen to all of Goro’s ramblings. Someone who wasn’t just trying to get a good sound bite and who actually responded and seemed interested. Amamiya never looked board as Goro spoke. He just sat, sipping his drink every so often, eyes alert behind his glasses and taking in every word. It was so easy to just…keep talking. 

Goro almost completely forgot why he was spending time with Amamiya. It all just felt, nice.

“Ah, sorry.” Goro turned, feigning embarrassment. Inside, he was ticked off at his carelessness. “I didn’t mean to talk for so long. We’re practically almost done with out dinner.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Amamiya put on an easy smile. “I’m terrible at small talk. I probably would have just shown you pictures of my cat for an hour. At least with you in charge of the conversation, I got to learn some pretty interesting things.”

Goro paused, his drink hovering halfway up to his lips. “Like what…?”

“Like that fact that you have some very strong opinions about the Featherman reboot. I kinda have to agree with you, though. Completely erasing the past two movies from canon is just dumb.”

Goro felt his eye twitch. Was he really blabbing about Featherman in public? That was not something his detecting prince persona would be rambling about. Ugh, how the hell did that happen?

“Well, I’m glad you found my nerdy word vomit interesting.” He sipped his drink, hoping that no one here recognized him.

“Oh, don’t get embarrassed, Akechi. I’d listen to your Featheman meta any day.” Amamiya was grinning at Goro, his chin resting in his hand and elbow on the table. Goro had the urge to rip way the napkin under Amamiya’s elbow and watch his face crash into the table. It was incredibly tempting.

“Sorry, I only talk about my TV interest once a year. Come back later and maybe I’ll be kind enough to share my opinions about the final season of Game of Thrones.” Goro couldn’t keep the grin off his face.

Amamiya perked up. “Ah, I haven’t seen that yet! I’ve heard so much about it, but was too lazy to read the subs. Think I can watch the whole thing in a year?”

“If you show the same dedication in watching as you do putting off your studying, then I’m sure you’ll finish in no time.” Goro motioned to the phone buzzing on the table. “I believe that’s the fourth time your friend has texted you about schoolwork, no?”

Amamiya sighed and picked up his phone. “Yeah…she’s really on my case tonight. That’s what I get for becoming friends with the class president.”

With how comfortable the atmosphere had become, Goro decided that now was a best time to ask some of his own questions. “Your friend, Makoto, was it? By any chance in her surname Nijima?”

Amamiya didn’t look up as he texted. “Yeah. Do you know her?”

“Ah, no not really. We’ve met briefly once before. I work closely with her elder sister. Sae Nijima is a prosecutor. I often assist her with her investigations. In fact, Sae was the one who recommended Leblanc to me.” 

“Really? Huh, that’s kind of crazy.” Amamiya pushed up his glasses. The white glare was back. “For being such a big city, Tokyo feels even more connected then my home town did.”

Goro tried to study the look on Amamiya’s face. If only his eyes weren’t hidden, maybe he’d get more out of him. Next time. For now, Goro could only really rely on Amamiya’s voice for truths.

“Your home town? You moved here recently, yes?”

Amamiya nodded. “Yeah. Something shitty happened and I was booted out here to live with Sojiro.”

“And straight into the hellfire that was Shujin.” Goro huffed. He froze for a moment. He didn’t mean to sound so blunt. That really collided with his image. To his relief, Amamiya either didn’t notice or didn’t care. He simply chuckled.

“Yeah. I bet when my parents sent me here to be ‘reformed’ or whatever, they didn’t expect for me to end up in an even worse place. But every thing turned out okay, I guess. Made some good friends through it all.”

At that moment, Amamiya tilted his head so that the glare over his glasses was finally gone. His gray eyes looked warm in the light. And they were looking right at Goro.

In the back of his mind, Loki howled in delight.

They paid shortly after, and then walked to the station together. Just as Goro was about to head to his platform, Amamiya’s hand grasped his arm.

“Give me your number.”

Goro’s mouth moved before his mind could intervene. “Okay.”

Numbers and chat ID’s exchanged, Amamiya waved as he headed to his own line. Goro watched him disappear into the crowd.

Well, that did not go how I planned, Goro admitted to himself. He agreed to spend time with Amamiya on the basis that he would learn something interesting about him. Like who he spent time with and where. Well, one thing he learned was his friendship with Makoto Nijima. Goro doesn’t recall any of the Thieves resembling her, but the idea of the younger Nijima sister being a member was too amusing. Goro hoped that it was true just to see the look on Sae’s face when the truth was relieved. It was sure to be an entertaining moment.

Much to Goro’s surprise, his time with Amamiya didn’t feel unproductive. He didn’t feel like the time was wasted at all. However, that was an entirely different problem that Goro wasn’t about to touch with a ten foot pole.

_Pancakes. It’s all because of fucking pancakes._

Before his train arrived, Goro’s phone rang. There was no name attached to the caller. Goro stepped away to a more secluded area and answered.

“Yes?”

“ _I have a few loose ends that I need severed_.” Shido said coolly.

“All I need is their names and it’ll be taken care of before morning.”

“ _Good_. _First is…”_

* * *

Goro didn’t get home for hours. It was nearly sunrise by the time he crashed into bed. For once, even Loki seemed too tired to bother him like he usually did after an assignment from Shido. They had to track down six people, well, shadows. That was more than Goro ever attempted to do in one go. His side ached from being struck by the blunt length of a lance and he was sure that his wrist was at least sprained from landing on it wrong after being thrown.

He should probably get it looked at. He definitely wasn’t going to, of course. That would raise far too many questions.

It was a blessing in disguise, really. While waiting for his minor injuries to heal, he could call out of work and study for his exams. He may be a genius by Amamiya’s standards, but even geniuses had to study.

Speak of the devil…

Goro’s phone went off just as he was about to plug it in. An unwitting smile flickered to his face as he pressed the message.

 **Amamiya:** _Good morning. Morgana got stuck in my bag strap._

 **Amamiya:** _morganaaaa_948.jpg_

Goro snorted at the picture on his phone. Morgana was on his back, paws and face a blur as he fought with the strap wrapped around his middle. It was even funnier considering the fact that said cat could talk and was probably yelling at Amamiya to help him.

 **Goro:** _What a pleasant message to receive first thing in the morning._

 **Goro:** _I assume your cat also doubles as an alarm clock?_

 **Amamiya:** _Why yes, Mr. Detective._

 **Amamiya:** _That was some good sleuthing_

 **Amamiya:** _Or was it obvious since I’m up awake at the crack of dawn and school doesn’t start of another four hours?_

 **Goro:** _Both._

 **Goro:** _One thing I have to ask, Amamiya._

 **Goro:** _Based on the naming convention of the above image…_

 **Goro:** _Do you really have almost a thousand images of your cat on your phone?_

 **Amamiya:** _Uhhhhhhhhhhh_

 **Amamiya:** _Shit._

 **Amamiya:** _You weren’t supposed to find out I was crazy cat lady until like, friendship level nine._

**Goro:** _Well then, I guess I’m on the accelerated friendship track._

 **Amamiya:** _Guess so._

 **Amamiya:** _Well, super detective/advanced friend, I’m going to try to go back to sleep._

 **Goro:** _Good luck, crazy cat lady_

 **Amamiya:** _Thx_

 **Amamiya:** _Wait. WHY ARE YOU AWAKE AT THIS TERRIBLE HOUR????_

Goro shook his head and chuckled. Giving Amamiya his number was either the worst or best decision he made in a while. For no real reason, Goro decided it was the best.

* * *

Almost the moment exams were over, Goro’s phone blew up like an erupting volcano. He’d been largely ignoring the internet for the past few days while he attended school, not wanting to mess up his results and, by extension, his image. After four days of nothing but math problems and essay questions, Goro finally decided to got through his notifications.

He nearly tripped on the sidewalk.

Medjed publicly calling out the Phantom Thieves was not something he saw coming.

Goro ducked out of the way of the crowded sidewalk and began scrolling through his phone. So many people were reaching out to him on various social media sites, dying to know what he thought about this situation. Some people online were already a little annoyed with Goro’s opinions on the Thieves, especially since he still held firm to his goal of arresting them after Kaneshiro, but even his biggest critics were eager to hear what he had to say.

Goro even saw a few offers from some talk shows in his email.

It was all so tempting. Being so firm on his negative stance of the Phantom Thieves was all a part of the plan after all. Once they framed the Thieves for the death of one of their targets, Goro would be catapulted to saint-like status. The only one who saw the thieves for who they truly were and the only one brave enough to call them out.

After that happened, the public would love him.

So why did he feel this way? Why was Goro so tempted to turn down the offers to speak on the Thieves when the opportunities were literally pouring in?

 _You know why, stubborn child._ It was Robin Hood this time, though Goro figured Loki probably would have said the same thing. Only much with much more crass language.

Goro rolled his eyes and pocketed his phone. His brain was still fried from exams and he was tired. He needed caffeine before even attempting to deal with all of this new information. Goro knew exactly where to go.

He didn’t expect Leblanc to be so…lively.

The open sign was displayed on the door, and yet Goro felt like he was walking into some sort of private event. An event which included five people, three of which Goro was certain were apart of the Phantom Thieves. The other two he recognized almost instantly.

One was Makoto Nijima, which delighted the young detective to no end. Her presence here amongst confirmed thieves was either the biggest coincidence in the entire world or a clear sign of her involvement.

The other person in question was none other than Yusuke Kitagawa, the former pupil of that poor excuse of a human, Madarame. If Kitagawa wasn’t a Phantom Thief as well, Goro would eat his attaché case.

All five sets of eyes darted over to him as soon as the bell chimed. Goro put on his sweetest prince smile and spoke.

“Oh! I hope I’m not interrupting anything. The sign did say open after all.”

Sakamato spun around and pointed to Kitagawa. “I thought Ren told you to flip the sign!”

“He did no such thing.” Kitagawa answered with a cool stare. “In fact, I believe he said ‘don’t flip the sign because Boss would kill me if I closed and denied his legions of dedicated customers their coffee’. Is that correct, Ren?”

The young man in question, nodded.

Goro chuckled politely. “Well, I’m not exactly a legion, but I do believe I fall under the ‘dedicated customer’ designation. Though if you’re in the middle of something, I can always come back—”

“Don’t leave on our account, Akechi-kun.” Makoto spoke up, making eye contact with Goro directly. He made sure to feign surprise.

“Oh, Nijima-san, I didn’t see you there.”

“Please, there’s no need to be so formal. After all, you and my sister are fairly close.”

Goro’s lip twitched. Could that be jealousy in her voice?

“Very well, Makoto then. It’s good to see you.” He tilted his head just so, making him appear more innocent looking. It was a practiced movement, one that Goro liked to use to endear himself to others. It only seemed to irk Makoto which in turn delighted him.

Goro wondered if she noticed. That he didn’t offer the same courtesy. His given name wasn’t something he let anyone have, no matter the circumstances.

Knowing how sharp the Nijima sisters were, she probably noticed right away.

“Take a seat, Akechi. I’ll get started on your drink.” Amamiya stepped behind the counter, grabbing an apron on his way.

Goro strode confidently to his seat, glancing at Sakamato’s hilarious frown on the way. The blonde way too easy to rile up. That was information that would probably be useful later.

There were a few moments of awkward silence that Goro loved. There was something innately satisfying about causing such unrest in a room full of people just by simply existing. Maybe a normal person would have felt uncomfortable or possibly tried to remedy the situation in some way. Goro was not a normal person.

“So…” Takamaki’s cheery voice broke through the silence. “Have you finished your exams, Akechi-kun? Most of us had them last week.”

Goro twisted sideways in his chair to face the group. “Yes, just today actually. I thought I’d treat myself with my favorite coffee after such a grueling time.”

“I hear you. We did the same thing as a kind of end of exams celebration last week. Well, we tried to anyway. The fireworks festival kind of turned out to be a bust, but it’s the thought that counts.” She giggled.

“So true.”

“Order up.” Amamiya set down a steaming cup on the counter. For a moment, Goro wondered if having a hot cup of coffee on a warm summer day was really a good idea, but all that went away with the first sip. Goro’s eyes actually flicker close in delight. They shot open a second later when he heard that familiar quiet laugh.

“You’re getting better, Amamiya. Sakura should give you a raise.”

“He doesn’t even get paid now.” Sakamoto grumbled.

“Well then, he should start paying you.” Goro took another drink and contemplated ordering a gallon to take home for the week. It probably wouldn’t taste all that good reheated.

Delicious coffee aside, Goro was in quiet the incredible situation. Time to do some investigation work.

“So, what brings you all to Leblanc today? You must be on you summer break by now. I can’t imagine that this would be a hotspot for teenagers to spend their precious free time.” It was kind of an obvious line of question, but Goro felt emboldened amongst these people.

He knew things about the cognitive world that they would never know. He knew for a fact that he was stronger, smarter, and all around better than this ragtag group of fools. Seeing them all together only solidified that fact. They were nothing but pawns to be strategically placed and then swiftly sacrificed. Like a simple game of chess.

“The same could be said of you, Akechi-kun.” Makoto replied easily. “But to answer your question, we just needed a quiet place to discuss our summer vacation plans.”

“Oh? Planning something exciting, are we?”

Takamaki jumped back into the conversation. “Well Makoto’s idea of exciting is making sure we do our summer homework.” She joked. The other girl sighed.

“If I didn’t make a schedule, you and Ryuji _and_ Ren would put it off until the last minute.”

The trio in question glanced at each other with sheepish looks on their face.

“Why am I the only one left out?” Kitagawa asked in his strange, dramatic tone.

Takamaki reaches out and pats him on the shoulder. “Oh Yusuke, you should take it as a compliment! When Makoto isn’t scolding you, that means you’re doing alright.”

The girls laugh at the look on Kitagawa’s face. Even Sakamato looks amused. But there’s a tension to it all. An underlying current of unease that is visible in the forced cheer in Takamaki’s voice. In the way Makoto’s gaze keeps shifting Goro’s way. In the tense posture from both Sakamoto and Kitagawa that hadn’t budged an inch.

Were they worried about Medjed? Dealing with a faceless adversary was quite the challenge after all. It was a wonder they were even tolerating Goro’s presence at the moment.

Amamiya was wearing his confident mask today. The one that made him seem at ease and in control of every aspect of his life. Realistically, Goro knew that Amamiya must have been just as worried. However, it was impossible to see the edges of that mask.

Maybe if he had more time with Amamiya. More time to study him up close, get to know him and…and…

Goro’s cup was empty. Time’s up.

“That was delicious. And the perfect reward for completing my exams. I should get going—”

“Want to go out with me tonight?” Amamiya’s question not only stunned Goro to silence, but the rest of his friends as well.

At the booths behind him, Makoto cleared her throat. “Um, Ren? I’m sorry, but I thought we all had plans tonight?”

Goro wanted to know what face she was making, but he felt frozen on the spot. The mystery in Amamiya’s cool gaze had locked him in place.

 _What the hell is he playing at…? Pancakes, Goro. Pancakes._ Goro blinked, tearing his eyes away. It felt like his armor had taken a beating. Now was not the time to let it crack.

Goro plastered an innocent smile on his face. “Double booking, Amamiya? That’s not very polite.”

“Right, forgot about that.” Amamiya rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh, how about tomorrow night?”

“I’m free.” Goro nodded. “All day in fact.”

“Great. Awesome. Uh, tomorrow then.”

“Tomorrow.” Goro stood, grabbing his attaché case and heading towards the door. He turned to the booth of people on last time. “It was a pleasure seeing you all.”

“I’ll text you.” Amamiya said quickly.

A smile, a real smile, poked through Goro’s gleaming armor. “I hope you actually have planned this time.”

“I do. Or, I will. By tomorrow.”

Goro snorted. “I’ll hold you to that.”

As he stepped out of the door, Goro could hear Sakamoto’s loud, whining voice.

“Dude, you’re going out with him again?! He’s like our number one enemy!”

A loud slap rang out that even made Goro flinch.

“Ryuji! Keep it down!” Takamaki and possibly Makoto, shouted.

Goro was tempter to linger, but his mind was a fuzzy mess. It was a long shot, impossible to be sure, but Amamiya’s choice of words was confusing to say the least. He specifically said _go_ out, not _hang_ out. In a normal situation, one where one or both people in the conversation actually held some semblance of feelings for the other, the wording would have made things clear. _Going_ out with someone implied a date. They way Amamiya asked backed up that hypothesis as well.

_“Want to go out with me tonight?”_

Personalizing the question. Making it clear that it was one on one, not a group event. Sakamoto’s loud mouth all but added to the pile of evidence.

Amamiya asked him on a date.

It was such a ridiculous statement that it almost made Goro angry. There were far more important things to do then waste time with frivolous _feelings_. Goro had the downfall of the Thieves to plan and Amamiya had Medjed to fight. What the hell was he doing asking for something so stupid at a time like this?

Goro hopped off the train early at Shibuya. A familiar, burning feeling was building his chest. He really hated when his pawns didn’t move the way he wanted. Amamiya was trying to shake up the rules, but Goro wasn’t going to let him. Sure, he’d give Amamiya the time he wanted, but in the end, Goro would be the only one to gain anything from it all.

As the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.


End file.
